Pneumatic brake



Mar, 27, 1923, 1,449,522

` E W. MCDANIEL PNEUMATIG BRAKE Filed June l, 1921 5 sheets-sheet l @5W/,4M www @Mm wm( atbozneij 5 shets-shee'o A:3

E.' W. MCDANIEL Flled june .1, 192i 3331, @naamw/L Maf. 27, 1923.

Mar.27,1923.' l

` E. W. MCDANIEL PNEUMATIC BRAKE Filed Jupe l, 1921 5 sheets-sheetl 5 Mar. 27, 1923.

1,449,522 E. W. MCDANIEL PNEUMATIC BRAKE Filed JuneA l, 1921 5 sheets-sheet 5 i Shoe/nro@ am @2 ZQQQM Patented Ma. a7,- ma

MNM'ED ISTATES PATENT OFFICE.4

ELMER w. MGDAN'IEL, or SAN'DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

` PNEUMATIC BRAKE.

Application filed June 1, 1921. Serial No. 474,075.

brake mechanism which will be operative' without the employment of relatively moving friction surfaces such as brake bands and drums, thereby avoiding the heating up 0f the brakes and the liability of the same to rapidly burn or wear out on long or steep grades.

Another object is to provide a construction which vis operable with a minimum amount of physical effort on the part of operator to produce any desired amount of braking effect up to the maximum including` the locking of the wheels if necessary.

A 'further object is t0 provide a construction in which the brake action will in all cases be gradually applied, thus lessening the liability of the skidding of the vehicle.

With these and other objects in view the invention lincludes the novel features of construction and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

An embodyment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section through part of a wheel and axle having my improved brake mechanism applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a section'on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking towards the left. y

Fig 3 is a detail view partly in section and partly in elevation. 'f

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the planetary gears and their carrier element. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views of the valve.

Figs, 8, 9 and 10 are detail views of the,

controlling levers and their operating connections.

In these drawings I haveshown for convenience the driving wheel at one side of the vehicle only, and have omitted any showing of automobile frame and body as these form no part of the invention, it being understood that the brake is applicable to any type of vehicle and the mechanism would be duplicated in connection with each wheel.

Referring by reference characters to these drawings the numeral 1 designates one of the driving wheels of a motor vehicle which is shown as connected with and driven by the live axle section 2.

The wheel is shown as journaled on suit- Aable roller bearings on a stationary axle member h0r housing 3 as is customary. Upon the inside of the wheel is rigidly secured an annular flange 4 which may be conveniently formed as an annular peripheral flange integral with a disc portion 4a which latter maybe secured to the wheel or wheel hub in any suitable manner. This annular peripheral flange may 'be conveniently termed a movable rotatable clutch member or drum and it encircles an inner annular rotatable but normally stationary drum 0r member 5, preferably annular,y

carried by extending spokes 5a, fast at their inner ends to a hub'which is journaled on a sleeve 6 encircling the stationary axle or housing 3 and rigidly secured thereto. The inner drum or member 5 isf/provided with a plurality of guides 5", four being shown as a convenient number, within whlch are mounted the reciprocating clutch blocks or members 7, the outer faces of which are designed to frictionally engage the lnner face ofthe annular flange 4.

lThe aforesaid coactin'g surfaces may be Iprovided with any suitable facing material designed to give a better grip, and it will be readily seen that when the clutch blocks are moved radially outward into engagement with the` drum or member 4, thetwo drums 4 and 5 will be locked together and caused to notate in yuniscfii.

It may be stated that while the parts above described lSemble somewhat the 'customary brake drum's, they do notact as a brake inthe ordinary sense of the word, but simply serve as friction clutch means for causing the innercdrum ormember to be rotated by the wheel, and the movement of the inner member is utilized to operate air braking mechanism in the manner hereinafter described.

y which has one end connected and its other end' connected to a floating ring ,resting in a screw 11 which has' groove in anut or wheel a threaded innerperiphery engaging corresponding threads member 11 "is provided with an operating armi111.- An intermediate portionv of lever 'or rmg member 18 tol plurality ofstationary airLcylinders 14, pref- 9 is connected-with the apex of the toggle and it will be readily understood that if arm 1 1n is moved to rotate nut 1.1- in one direction the latter will .be caused by the screw threads to approach wheel 1 which will tendl to straighten the toggles and force all the blocks outward into engagement with drum 4, while movement ofthe nut 11 in Ellie okpposite direction will retract thebrake oc i Encircling the parts above described. is

stationary housing 13 having a web part 1 3a rigidly secured to sleeve 6, as means of tubular extension, 13b.

Rigidly carried by this housing is a plate which'are connected a erably arranged in opposed pairs as shown. Within the cylinders of each pair are located pistons 15 which are -connected by a single piston rod 16 with a. cross mounted in rocating movement in the' direction ofthe piston rods. 'The cross-heads are constructed as guidesfor blocks 19, which blocks 'can I .,move 1n the guides erpendicular to the piss tonrods. The bloc sare eccentrically connected by pins 20 with gear wheels 21` jourbearings, which' gearsnaled in' stationary mesh with an internal annular rack or gear 22 fast on or connected 4to member 5. Thus v .when the drum 5 is locked to movable drum 4, as above described, the gears will be rotated and will', through the cross heads and plston rods, reciprocate the pistms; These latter are made as ordinary pump plungers,

compressing air on on the outward' Stroke."

on thesleeve 6. Nut. or-

for example 'by wheels, but if the latter is -desired head 17 slidably guides 18 lso as to permit recip'- the inward stroke,jbutl 'allowlng air to pass through' into the 'pistons f It will be readily observed that by provid` ing the cylinders with relief valves ca able of being opened more or less, or comp etely closed at will of the operator, I may impart any degree of resistance tothe movement of the vehicle desire`d, even to the locking of the wheels by the complete closing of the valves, althoughA due to the slight amount of time necessary for accumulation of suflicient air locking 0fthe pressure or resistance, such a gradualor wheels will be done with cushion effect.

The air relief valves are indicated at 23 and are connectedv by rods 24, bell cranks 25, and rods 26, with a floating ring 26al mount- 'ed on sleeve 13b and .having an operating `arm 26"; Projections 11a and 26"` are connected to suitable operating means by brake rod connections of the customary type, such as rods at 11.and 27?, rock shafts 11d and 27d, and rods' 121e and 2.7", 4and-in my 'pre-l drawings, such operating means 4takes the lform of a foot pedal 28 connectedbyn rods as aforesaid to the ring 11and an associated ferred embodiment, as illustrated in the pedal .29 connected to air relief valve controlling ring 26a (see Figs. Sand 9).

Pedal lever 28is provided with a lug 28"iv which overlies lever 29 so that air reliefl I 'valve control lever 29 is automaticall car- .ried forward `.by pressure on foot pe al le` The relative adjustments suh that the. vfriction lof the clutch blocks as they come into action is always in advance so to speak or excess of the resistancedue tothe air compression, so as to prevent the blocks or clutches.A Y

Forl yordinary purposes, the noperationfof foot pedal 28 will secure allnecessa'ry dethe .slippage of grees of braking-.effect Without locking the' for emer. gency purposes, the valves mayz ,be completel closed by 'rocking the foot and causing t e toe to depress 'extension 29 thus advancing lever'29 furtherV than it would A be carried by pedal 28.

From the foregoing it'will provide brake' mechanism which will not wearoutdue tothe rubbing of friction surfaces,l which will not overheatorburn out 1n descending` long grades,l and* in which all .be seen that It 7 lesseningtheliaility-ofskiddingL Having thus descrlbed my invention, what I claim is:.'

member adjacent the rack having planetary gears meshing with said rack, air compressing means 'fcarried by said annular member l1.' lIn a brake for wheeled vehicles, a norn mally stationary annularrack, a stationary and arranged to be operatedby said4 gears 'and 'clutch mechanism for connectingsaid normally stationary member-to a wheel :of- ',.tllev vehicle,

2. In a brake for Wheeled vehicles, a drum fast on the Wheel, a normally stationary member Within the drum, radially movable clutch shoes carried by said member, and arranged to coact With said drum, means for operating said shoes, a fixed annular-member adjacent said normally stationary member, and air pump mechanism carried by said fixed annular member'co'nn'ected to be operated by said normally stationary member.

3. -In a brake for Wheeled vehicles, an annular member fast on the vehicle Wheel, a normally stationary member associated therewith, friction clutch mechanism designed to connect said members, air pump `means 'constructed and arranged to be operated by said normally stationary member, air

relief valve means for said pump means, a-

lever for operating said friction clutch mechanism, and a lever foroperating said air relief meanssaid levers being arranged adjacent each other and said first named lever having a projection overlyingl said second named lever.

4. In a brake for Wheeled vehicles, a friction clutch member carried by a vehicleannular clutch member fast on said Wheel,

a stationary sleeve encircling the axle, `a member mounted to have rotatable movement about said sleeve, a' clutch shoe slidably carried by said rotatable member, a nut threaded on said sleeve, means for operatin said nut, means whereby movement of sai nut operates said clutch shoe, and air pump mechanism connected to be operated by said rotatable member.

6. .In a brake for Wheeled vehicles, the

combination with a Wheel and axle, of an annular clutch member fast on said Wheel, a statlonary sleeve encircling the axle, a member mounted to have rotatable movement about said sleeve, a clutch vshoe slidably carried by said rotatable member, a nut threaded on said sleeve means for operating Said nut, means whereby movement of said nut pperat'es said clutch shoe, a stationary housing'surrounding said clutch member, air pump means supported by said housing, and means Wherebythe rotation of said rotary member operatessaid air pump mechanism. f 7. In a brake for Wheeled vehicles, the combination with a Wheel and axle, of an annular clutch member fast on said Wheel, a stationary sleeve encircling the axle, a

member mounted to have rotatable movement about said sleeve, a clutch shoe slidably carried by said rotatable member, a nut .threaded on said sleeve, meansfor operating said nut, said nut having an annular groove, a floating ring in said groove, toggle mecha'- nism for operati-ng said clutch shoe, a lever interposed between said iioating ring andl toggle for operating the latter, and air pump mechanism arranged to be operated by said movable member.

8. In a brake for wheeled vehicles, air pump mechanism carried by a fixed part of the vehicle, operating mechanism for said air pump means, friction clutch mechanism designed to connect said operating mecha nism With a Wheel of the vehicle,`air relief valve means for said pump means, a lever for operating said friction clutch mechanism, and a layer for operating said air relief means, said levers being arranged adjacent each other and said first named lever hav'- ing a projection overlying said second named lever.

9. In a brake for Wheeled vehicles, a friction clutch member carried by a vehicle Wheel, a normally stationary rotary member,

a coacting movable clutch member carried by said second member, an annular rack also carried by said second member supported froml a stationary part of the vehicle, lanetary'gears meshing With said rack an arranged to operate said air pump mechanism, and means for operating said clutch member.

10. In a vehicle brake, a stationary element'carried by a ixed part of the vehicle, an air pump carried thereby having a reciprocating piston, a gear journaled on a stationary axis and having a connection for l operating said piston, a normally stationary annular rack meshing with, said gear, and means for driving said rack from the vehicle axle.

l1. In a vehicle brake, a stationary element carried by a kfixed part of the vehicle, a. pair of opposed air pumps supported thereby and having connected pistons, a gear journaled on a ixed axis and having an eccentric pin connected to operate said pistons, a normally stationary .annular rack meshing with said gear,and means for connecting said annular rack with a Wheel of the vehicle.

12. In a vehicle brake the combination with a stationary axle housing and Alive axle therein, and a Wheelfast on said axle, of an annular ange on saidv Wheel, anV annular normallyv stationary member carried by said axle housing and capable of rotation thereon, said annular member lying Within said annular flange and having a projecting annular rack with internal teeth, radially movable clutch shoes carried by said annular member, with means for operating-them, an l annular fixed member supported byI said axle housing, air pump mechanism carried by said fixed member, and gearing for operating said air pump mechanlsm from said rack.

13. In a vehicle brake the combination with a stationary axle housing and live axle therein, and a wheel fast on said axle, of an annular flange on said wheel, an annular normally stationary member carried by said by said fixed member, gearing for operating said air pump mechanism from'said rack, and a stationary housing enclosing said parts and overlying the flange on the wheel.

`14. -In a vehicle brake thefcombination with a stationary axle housing and live axle therein, and a wheel fast on said axle, of an annular flange ,on said wheel, an annular normally stationary member carried by said axle housing and capable of rotation thereon, said annular member lying'within said annular flange and having a projecting annular rack with internal teeth, radially movable clutch shoes carried by said annular member, with means for operating them, an

.annular fixed member supported by said axle housing, a plurality of gears journaled on one face of said fixed member and meshing with said raclga plurality of air pumps carried by the other face of said fixed member, and means whereby said gears operate said pumps. Y

15. In a vehicle brake a plurality 0f air .pumps annularly disposed about the axle chamber, air pump mechanism within said chamber, and clutch mechanism within said chamber for controlling the actionl of ysaid pump mechanism.

17. In a vehicle brake the combination with a wheel and axle, of a stationary sleeve about the axle, an annular'member mounted to be capable of rotary movement about said sleeve, means forl clutching said member to thewheel, a fixed annular member encircling said sleeve, an annular rackon said first named annular member, a plurality ofge'ars rotatably carried by said fixed member and meshing with said rack, a plurality of annularly arranged pump cylinders carried by said fixedv members and having pistons 'connected to be operated by said gears, said lcylinders' having air escape valves, a Ting rotatable about said sleeve, connections from said ring to 'said valves for operating the latter, and means for oscillating saidring.

In testimony whereof I afiiinmy signature.

i .ELMERv w. MCDAIEL. 

